The 65th Chapter of The Water Margin: Song Jiang

  Song Jiang was very clever and saw that Ximen Qing wanted to kill Hao Jian, so he roughly told Ximen Qing about his understanding of Hao Jian, giving him a general impression.

  After finishing speaking, Song Jiang laughed and said: "If Hao Jian can die, that would be a great joy for the people of Yun Cheng!"

  Ximen Qing replied: "Don't worry, brother Gongming! Evil people will get their due retribution! Haha..."

  "That's right! Evil people will be punished!" Song Jiang gritted his teeth, a hint of murderous intent flashing across his "delicate" face, before asking again: "Righteous Emperor, how did you get into conflict with that rascal Hao Jian? Tell me about it."

  Ximen Qing smiled and nodded, then immediately told Song Jiang about how he had rescued the beggar and fooled Zheng's three men. He added: "Actually, I don't have any grudges against Hao Jian, it's just that I can't stand his behavior. A person like him, if he died, the common people would be happy!"

  Song Jiang frowned, nodded and said: "Hao Jian indeed deserves to die. However, Emperor Yi, you must remember that this must be done secretly, without revealing any trace of movement. Otherwise, you will be in danger! Hao Jian's uncle is Yang Jie, a high-ranking eunuch in the imperial court. Because his uncle supports him, he dares to be so reckless. If Hao Jian dies, Yang Jie's anger will be boundless. So it must be done discreetly!"

  "What? There's this too? Yang Jiaolong? That handsome Commander of the Imperial Guards? No wonder!" Ximen Qing suddenly narrowed his eyes.

  Song Jiang sighed and said, "It's precisely because of this reason that I couldn't kill Hao Jian. My martial arts skills are not good enough to be stealthy and unnoticed. If my tracks were exposed, the Song family would be in danger. Haha... never mind, let's not talk about it. Emperor Yi can come to my house, why bring up this matter? Come, Emperor Yi, tell me where you plan to go this time. If you're not in a hurry, stay at the Song family village for a few more days and let me treat you well!"

  "Then I'll have to trouble Big Brother Song!" Ximen Qing hastily stood up and cupped his hands together in respect.

  Song Jiang's peach blossom eyes stared at Ximen Qing for a moment, then he used his slender fingers to poke Ximen Qing's shoulder and said, "Is the Righteous Emperor still so polite to me?"

  Ximen Qing coughed twice and then hastily sat down.

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  Ximen Qing realized what it meant by "heavenly fate playing tricks on people" after meeting Song Jiang.

  Isn't Song Jiang a black man? How come he looks more delicate than a girl, more handsome than a pretty boy, and almost no basic male characteristics are shown. How can this be the black Song Jiang? This completely shattered Ximen Qing's cognition. Ximen Qing couldn't help but want to grab Shi Nai'an's neck and shake it vigorously for nine twists and eighteen turns, asking him why Black Song Jiang had become a fake girl.

  But unexpectedly it has become a reality, Ximen Qing can only doubt in his heart.

  After chatting with Song Jiang several times, Ximen Qing also understood his temperament and found that the Song Jiang in front of him was quite different from the one in Water Margin, they were not the same person at all.

  In the Water Margin, Song Jiang is indeed chivalrous, but he also has some weaknesses and is henpecked. He is single-mindedly eager to surrender, but ignores the feelings of his sworn brothers. In the end, for fear that Li Kui would ruin his reputation, he poisoned Li Kui to death. Li Kui was the one who listened to him the most and trusted him the most, yet he had Li Kui poisoned to death. Such behavior, how can it not enrage Ximen Qing? With such conduct, how can he be considered Li Kui's most respected elder brother?

  But the fake daughter-in-law Song Jiang in front of Ximen Qing was resentful and hateful, doing things with kindness and righteousness, not only having a good temper but also being chivalrous, and surprisingly, every time he opened his mouth, he cursed the court's wrongdoings, as if he had some intention to rebel against the imperial court.

  This is not something that Song Jiang from Water Margin can have!

  Ximen Qing and Song Jiang chatted for a long time, from Hao Jian's affair to the Yuancheng County case, and finally to the situation of the Great Song Dynasty. The two became more and more congenial as they talked, and it was a pity that they had not met earlier. Finally, they developed into wanting to share a bed together, fortunately Ximen Qing refused.

  Then Ximen Qing paid his respects to Song Taigong and later had a drink with Song Jiang and Song Qing, chatting freely until deep into the night before resting.

  The next day, when the sky was bright, Ximen Qing got up to practice. While practicing, he flirted with Zixuan, feeling very comfortable and at ease.

  After the sun rose in the east, Ximen Qing and Zi Xuan changed their clothes and came to the living room. Seeing Ximen Qing and Zi Xuan walk in, Song Jiang and Song Qing hurriedly went forward to greet them. After a round of pleasantries, they sat down and Ximen Qing asked: "Big Brother Song, why didn't you go to the county government office today? Second Brother, can the wine shop operate without your supervision?"

  Song Jiang laughed and said, "With Brother Chao staying at my place, how could I be busy with other trivial matters and neglect to entertain him? Hehe, I've already informed the yamen and taken a few days off sick leave, so I can accompany Brother Chao on a stroll."

  Song Qing smiled and said, "There's someone from the wine house to take care of things, I'll come with you to keep Emperor Yi company. It's not easy for Emperor Yi to come here, we can't lose our courtesy. Ah, I think today's weather is great, why don't the four of us go out and enjoy the spring? We can also bring Emperor Yi to appreciate the scenery of Yuan Cheng!"

  Ximen Qing nodded and said: "Good, then I'll have to trouble both of you brothers!"

  "What nonsense is this!" said Song Jiang with a smile.

  The four of them each rode a horse, bringing three attendants, and leisurely walked out of the Song Mansion, out of the city, and strolled around.

  It has to be said that the environment in ancient times was exceptionally beautiful, lacking all sorts of pollution damage and uncontrolled logging and utilization, making the natural environment more primitive and more natural.

  In the distance, the mountain shadows are majestic, although not high, but they have a unique grandeur, no less than those so-called famous mountains. The clouds in the sky are naturally casual, connected with the mountain shadows and tree shades, the upper and lower skies, a complete picture, with a unique charm.

  Nearby, the brook babbles, clear and transparent to the bottom. The trees are lush, crisp and leisurely. Wildflowers fragrance, follow the wind and peaceful. Mountains and water reflect each other, gathering the beauty of nature.

  Riding on horseback, Ximen Qing took a deep breath of the natural air and smiled: "It's not bad to settle down here and become a recluse."

  Zi Xuan nodded and said softly, "Yes, the environment here is beautiful, very suitable for settling down!" Then, she glanced at Ximen Qing with a face full of shyness.

  Suddenly, Song Jiang sighed and said, "Brother, settling down here may be good, but it's not a long-term plan. In these chaotic times, who knows which group of mountain bandits will occupy the mountains and declare themselves king, making it difficult to even sleep peacefully?"

  After finishing, Song Jiang became even more furious and scolded: "Damn it! The current emperor is dead, don't know how chaotic the Great Song Dynasty is now. Look at it now, mountain bandits are in power, robbers are rampant, people can't make a living, starving to death, dying of poverty, corrupt officials die of wealth, simply cruel and inhumane. What's even more hateful is Cai the old thief, Gao the scoundrel, Yang the doomed, and Tong the scoundrel! These four damned corrupt officials should be cut into pieces, tortured to death!"

  Don't look at his innocent face, but when he scolds people, he is majestic and awe-inspiring.

  As soon as Song Jiang started scolding, Song Qing hastily said: "Hey, old brother, you're at it again! You didn't scold enough last night when chatting with Emperor Yi. Fortunately, there's no one else around, or it would be dangerous. Our few lives can't withstand the turmoil!"

  Song Jiang coldly snorted and did not retort.

  Ximen Qing sneered, his eyes narrowing as a cold glint flashed through them. "Actually, Brother Gongming is right," he said in a cold voice. "Those corrupt officials should be executed and their crimes announced to the world! Gao Qiu wields great power, but he's weak and incompetent, ordering senseless battles that have killed countless soldiers on the borders. He deserves to die! Cai Jing occupies a high position, intimidating all officials with his authority, and the Emperor trusts him deeply. Yet in these chaotic times, he knows what's going on but pretends to be ignorant, accepting bribes like the birthday gifts, amassing a fortune through corruption - he too should be killed! Yang Zhen and Tong Guan, those two eunuchs, are nothing but trash who deceive and manipulate the Emperor, causing the deaths of many loyal officials. They too deserve to die! If not for the strict guard in the Eastern Capital, I'd take up my sword and personally behead these four scoundrels!"

  "Good!" Song Jiang burst out laughing and said with a smile: "Brother Emperor is indeed bold and generous, haha, he really lives up to his name. Good, when there's an opportunity, I, Song Jiang, will definitely accompany Brother Emperor to make some trouble and find a chance to kill those four thieves with my own hands! Haha..."

  Ximen Qing nodded and smiled: "Since it's good!"

  Song Qing shook his head, laughing and said: "Ah, you two are really a match made in heaven. Such rebellious words can be spoken to the emperor, it's truly hard to believe! However, big brother and Emperor Yi are right, if possible, I'd also like to get rid of the four evil men and avenge the suffering people of the world, hahaha, from now on, whenever there's an opportunity, you must call me!"

  Zi Xuan also smiled and raised her head, saying "Count me in too!" After finishing, she still smiled and stuck out her tongue, exceptionally cute.

  Ximen Qing burst out laughing and stood up, saying: "Good, from now on I will definitely kill these four thieves to thank the world!"

  Four people rode horses slowly, and soon they came to a place with beautiful scenery. Here, the distant mountain peaks stood tall, the green peaks were slightly visible. The nearby trees swayed, the green grass and flowers covered the ground, and the small stream flowed, with a unique charm.

  The four men dismounted their horses and sat down in a circle. They arranged the pastries, wine, water, and fruit they had brought with them, and then chatted and snacked, feeling carefree and joyful.

  The good times didn't last long, and before the four of them could chat freely, they were disturbed by a group of people who ruined the atmosphere.

  Not far away, a group of rich young men on horseback, one hand holding the reins and the other holding hunting dogs, were laughing loudly as they rode. In front of them, several shabbily dressed beggars were running frantically, wishing they had an extra leg to run faster and avoid the snapping jaws of the hunting dogs behind them.

  The world is in chaos, and the common people are treated worse than dogs.

  Isn't this situation clear enough?

  Vote for me~~~~